Miami Vice (1987) – By Hooker By Crook, and Knock Knock… Who’s There?

John Schulian pens the teleplay for the first episode up this week, taking his cues from a story by Dick Wolf. It first aired on 20 March, 1987, and was directed by Don Johnson.

Sonny Crockett (Johnson) has some problems this week, when the woman he is romancing, and possibly falling for… which is pretty quick considering the events of Theresa weren’t that long ago… is a madam. Christine Von Marburg (Melanie Griffith) is running a stable of girls, and one of them, Ali (Vanity) may have just witnessed a murder that puts her in some serious trouble of her own.

Crockett and Tubbs (Philip Micheal Thomas) try to run down every lead that the case presents them with, and Crockett isn’t going to be happy about where the case ends up leading, especially when he discovers who Christine is… and what if she learns who he really is?

Poor Sonny, he just can’t seem to get a break with the romantic side of life right now.

There’s lots going on in this episode, Griffith was divorced from Johnson at the time, and would marry him again in 89. It also features wrestler Captain Lou Albano as one of the murderers, Martin Ferrero making an appearance as Izzy, as well as guest roles for Veronica Cartwright, and George Takei!

What isn’t so great is the fact that Tubbs isn’t given a lot to do in this episode, and Thomas doesn’t get a lot of dialogue…

Music for this episode includes 30,000 Feet by Broken Homes, Lavado by Bill Bergman, Steve Winwood’s Split Decision, and Simply Red’s Holding Back the Years.

Knock, Knock… Who’s There? was written by Micheal Duggan from a story by Dick Wolf. First airing on 27 March, 1987, the episode features Ian McShane as a dealer named Estaban Montoya.

Crockett and Tubbs find themselves enmeshed in a surprising problem. A group of DEA agents are performing drug busts, but instead of taking people into custody, they simply take off with the money and the drugs.

As events like this keep occurring, Sonny goes to one of his contact in the DEA, Linda Colby (Elizabeth Ashley), to find out what is going on, unaware that this is the very person behind the raids. Colby has a reason for what she is doing, and it resonates, but it doesn’t make what she does any better, or the lives she risks to do it.

While all this is going on, Internal Affairs is convinced (again) that Crockett has flipped and is now dirty… and they want to take him down.

Tunes include Dire Straits’ Ride Across the River, Heat of the Night by Bryan Adams, Underwaterboys by Shriekback, Santiago by Fernando Villalona, Grace Jones’ The Fashion Show, and La Vecina by Belkis Concepcion y Sus Chicas.

The casework continues next week as the streets continue to need cleaning up on Miami Vice.